Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse

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Professor Atkinson writes, ‘When the broken lintel belonging to these two stones ( stone 21 and stone 22) was being repaired, two sets of mortices were found on its under surface. The deeper and wider pair were set symmetrically at equal distances from the ends of the lintel. The shallower pair on the other hand, though separated by the same distance from each other, were offset by about twelve inches towards stone 21, so that at this end the mortice was very close to the end of the lintel. A terrific book…A thoughtful explanation of how the dramatic decline of insect species and numbers poses a dire threat to all life on earth.” (Booklist, Starred Review) In 1963, two years before I was born, Rachel Carson warned us in her book Silent Spring that we were doing terrible damage to our planet. She would weep to see how much worse it has become. Insect-rich wildlife habitats, such as hay meadows, marshes, heathland and tropical rainforests, have been bulldozed, burned or ploughed to destruction on a vast scale. The problems with pesticides and fertilisers, she highlighted, have become far more acute, with an estimated 3m tonnes of pesticides now going into the global environment every year. Some of these new pesticides are thousands of times more toxic to insects than any that existed in Carson’s day. Soils have been degraded, rivers choked with silt and polluted with chemicals. Climate change, a phenomenon unrecognised in her time, is now threatening to further ravage our planet. These changes have all happened in our lifetime, on our watch, and they continue to accelerate.

There was also a turf maze at Pimperne in Dorset, said to have been destroyed by the plough in 1730. John Aubrey, after whom the Aubrey holes at Stonehenge are named, was educated at nearby Blandford school, of which he wrote in his diary in the 17th century (as interpreted by Ruth Scurr in her highly readable book John Aubrey, My Own Life), ‘I have found as much roguery at Blandford school as there is said to be at Newgate prison’. He also wrote in his diary that year, ‘Sometimes, on holy days or play days, we boys go to tread the maze at Pimperne, which is near Blandford.’ Goulson heeft een missie: de wereld er van overtuigen dat het alarmerend slecht gaat met de insectenwereld én in één klap aantonen hoe wij daar zelf iets aan kunnen doen. Hij is hoogleraar biologie, geeft lezingen én schrijft boeken. Zijn laatste boek is Stille aarde, wederom een indrukwekkend boeiend boek. This book is longer, more serious, a timely warning, and a wake up call about the catastrophic decline in the insect population world-wide. We hear a good deal about insects as pollinators, but how about insects as removers of dung, vegetable waste and dead bodies? Thus Part One is ‘Why Insects Matter’ - Part Two ‘Insect Declines’, Part Three the causes of these declines. Part Four is a chilling dystopian view of a world where biodiversity has crumbled away and human society has as a result collapsed. Part Five ‘What can we do?’ offers a series of actions, world scale, national, and immediate and personal, that could tip the balance away from disaster.

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Meanwhile we have all read stories about hive collapse syndrome affecting honeybee colonies and the tragic decline of monarch butterflies in North America, and more. But it is not too late to arrest this decline, and Silent Earth should be the clarion call. Smart, eye-opening, and essential, Silent Earth is a forceful call to action to save our world, and ultimately, ourselves.

His magnum opus. Silent Earth is both a heartfelt letter of love to the insect world that has captivated him from childhood, and a rousing call to arms to counter the recent catastrophic decline in insects before it is too late [...] Magnificent." The book’s greatest strength is its insistence that change is possible, and that everyone can make it happen in small and large ways. Goulson steps seamlessly between knowledgeable professor and impassioned environmentalist, and you can’t help but get on board.”— Sierra Magazine Lady Antrobus observed the restorations at Stonehenge carried out in September 1901, resulting in an article she authored being published in the Saturday October 19th, 1901 edition of Country Life, in which she observed:

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At Cheselbourne a certain man, Tom Trask, had the misfortune that whenever he slept, the devil threw the ceiling down on his head’. The Dorchester contributor has heard of a highly useful spell which will blister and burn your enemies — just throw a handful of salt on the fire in the morning, that is all!’. Below: ‘Cuttings C41 and C42 across Segment 98 of the henge ditch. Two antlers found at the bottom of C42 (seen in this image) gave calibrated radiocarbon dates of 3340-2910 cal BC.’– Historic England. Interestingly, in the next paragraph Professor Atkinson adds some additional observations in respect of the original erection of stone 56, which had been straightened by Professor Gowland and his team in 1901:

Perhaps some of his final recommendations could have been to find like-minded others and form a revolutionary cell, which can then go on to: Eye-opening and inspiring, Silent Earth is a call to arms for profound change at every level and a passionate argument or us to love, respect and care for our six-legged friends.Interestingly, I found the discussions over insects as a suitable food source for the western population quite thought provoking. Despite his clear love of insects, the author suggests that it is a more environmentally sustainable practice to eat them compared to cattle. And he is completely right. It would be better for us. However, as a vegan I take issue with this because it would be easier (and healthier) just to eat plant matter. His point though is an interesting one and its not something I have ever come across. More reading is required on this subject, but the point raises some interesting ethical dimensions for me. Not to mention how odd it seemed in a book suggesting we avert the insect apocalypse. We shouldn't be creating a new one. Silent Earth is a well-written and logically structured book, neatly divided into five parts and 21 chapters, none of which run on for too long. Goulson gives you his reasons for why he thinks insects matter, examines the evidence for insect declines, discusses potential causes, and outlines what can be done. His pen is sharp and he is not afraid to lash out in places, but I also found his writing infused with intellectual honesty and a willingness to consider criticism. The book's greatest strength is its insistence that change is possible, and that everyone can make it happen in small and large ways. Goulson steps seamlessly between knowledgeable professor and impassioned environmentalist, and you can't help but get on board. Sierra Magazine The great work was started in August (1901) and finished on September 25th, having taken six weeks to complete … Large excavations were made round the base of the stone, and filled with concrete, which hardening was to hold it fast. The base of the stone was found to be at a depth of 8 feet 6 inches in the ground and the surface worked with flint tools. It was beautifully set, showing great knowledge on the part of the builders … There are further questions of the raising of the two stones which fell last year, the original positions of which are accurately known, also of certain precautionary measures to be taken to prevent the falling of other stones which are in danger. I think it would be in the worst possible taste to restore Stonehenge in any sense, but I can not agree with those who say ‘Let the stones lie as they fall and take no precautionary measures.’